Atlanta, Ga., Dec. 15-17.— A very successful aviation meet was given here three days beginning December 15 under the auspices of the Atlanta “Journal” and under the management of the Curtiss Exhibition Company. J.A.D. McCurdy, Eugene Ely and James J. Ward were the competing aviators. Ward surprised the crowd by his high flights in his 4-cylinder Curtiss, while Ely and McCurdy raced each other and conducted bomb dropping tests. Races with automobiles driven by local men were features of the meet.

Dillon, S. C, Dec. 21.— J.A.D. McCurdy, with his Curtiss racing machine, gave a number of exhibition flights here with an audience which outnumbered the town’s entire Population. Although the last census gave the town but 1,019 souls, McCurdy received his usual rate of $1,000 for the day’s flights.

Norfolk, Va., Dec. 23.— Under arrangement with the “Ledger-Dispatch” of Norfolk, J.A.D. McCurdy, using Glenn H. Curtiss’s Hudson Flyer, made a picturesque flight over the city and water front here remaining in the air more than 20 minutes.

North American Press Despatch 1911. — FLIES TO WARSHIP AND BACK. — Curtiss, at San Diego, Makes Return Start From Water. San Diego, Ca., Feb., 17:— Using one of his hydro-aeroplanes, Glenn Curtiss alighted today on the water alongside the armored cruiser Pennsylvania and was hoisted on board. Soon afterwards the aeroplane was rope back into the water and the aviator flew away to his hanger on North Island. The test was made to show the navy department that an aeroplane equipped like that of Curtiss does not need an especially constructed platform on a ship’s deck to make it of practical use in the navy.

Aeronautics: The American Magazine of Aerial Locomotion Vol. VIII, No. 3. March, 1911. — McCURDY MAKES LONGEST OVER-SEA FLIGHT. — May Be New American Record. After flying 89.78 miles and staying in the air 2 hours and 11 minutes in his Curtiss Biplane (51-h.p. Curtiss 8-cylinder motor), J.A.D. McCurdy, the fifth man In the United States to fly, and who is now flying for the Curtiss Exhibition Co., was forced to land in the water about 10 miles from Havana on an attempted flight from Key West, Fla., to Havana, where Curtiss aviators were holding a meet. A leak in the oil reservoir caused the trouble. The exact distance, as kindly furnished AERONAUTICS by Mr. Williams Welch, of the U. S. Signal Corps, from the anchorage at Key West to the anchorage at Havana, is 103 statute miles. Assuming that McCurdy landed exactly 6 miles from shore and 10 miles from the center of Havana (as reported), his distance would be 99 ½ miles if he landed west of Havana and 94 ½ miles if he landed northeast of the city. According to information, though not definite, the Navy Department sets the distance at about 90 miles. After many days of wail ing for good weather,the fliglit was started on January 30. Four torpedo boat destroyers were strung out over the course between Key West and Morro Castle. Within sight of land poor McCurdy had to descend. The “Paulding,” U. S. N., was close by, and the aviator and his machine were placed aboard and taken to Havana. In spite of the accident, the Havana “Post” awarded its $5,000 prize, and the City of Havana has done likewise with its $3,000 prize. This flight is perhaps the longest cross-country flight yet made in America and is a new world record for over-water flying. The previous record was that of the late Hoxsey, 89 5/8 miles. Accurate data on the exact spot of McCurdy’s alighting is impossible of obtaining.

HAVANA MEET. — Havana, Cuba, Jan. 29-Feb 5.—At the Havana meet of the Curtiss aviators, McCurdy, Beachey, Ward and Russell made a good exhibition of flights, often in strong winds. On the closing day, J.A.D. McCurdy flew from Camp Columbia, over sea and land, to Morro Castle and back, a distance of about 16 miles, thereby winning the $3,000 prize. He circled Morro Castle twice. In the evening the newspapers entertained the aviators and presented each one with a cup. President Gomez was at a luncheon given in honor of the aviators, and $6,000 was subscribed for the encouragement of aviation in Cuba. Beachey flew the Albany-New York machine, and Ward flew his new 8-cylinder machine for the first time.

FOUR TYPES OF CURTISS MACHINES. — There are now four types of Curtiss machines. One is known as the “Rheims racer” type (I) and is sold with either four or eight cylinder engines. As will be remembered, this is a duplicate of the first machine which was purchased by the Aeronautical Society. The second edition of the Curtiss type, known as the “Belmont,” is the same as the previous one in essential details. The planes are, however, double covered, and there are minor changes in the engine bed. The planes are in sections and each section is interchangeable. This is the Curtiss II. This is true also of all the later types. The new Curtiss III, machine, flown first at Los Angeles, was developed at the San Diego winter experimental grounds. A full description of this new type is given elsewhere in this issue. The fourth model, designed for passenger carrying and military work, is about the size of the large Curtiss machine built by Willard last summer, of which full details and drawings were published in the September number of AERONAUTCS, with the exception that the alterations adopted for the No. III., machine are also carried out in the No. IV.

Aeronautics: The American Magazine of Aerial Locomotion Vol. VIII, No. 4., April, 1911. — McCURDY FLIES MILITARY CURTISS. — On March 17, before a distinguished group of army officials and members of the Diplomatic Corps in Washington, D. C, J.A.D. McCurdy gave two exhibition flights over the Potomac In the Curtiss war machine, which will be sent to the Texas-Mexican border line for use by the United States Army encamped there. This is the first of the “Type IV” or “military” machines produced by G.H. Curtiss, and is the first Curtiss machine to be bought by the Army. It is the same in all respects save size as the Type III brought out in California (see March issue). One feature of this type is its ability to “knock down” in small sections for transportation. Each section of the planes is interchangeable. The engine is the usual one, 51.2 h.p., S cylinders. Equipment includes Bosch ignition and El Arco radiator. McCurdy started from an open tract of ground several hundred yards east of the bandstand on the Speedway. The machine had been sent to the starting point early in the morning, and McCurdy rose into the air for his first flight at 9.25 o’clock. He was in the air 10 minutes. He circled the Speedway and the open country for a mile on the Virginia side of the Potomac ten or twelve times. In making one round of the imaginary track he followed, the river down stream for 3 miles, and came back the same way, alighting gracefully and without mishap within a few yards from, where the machine had arisen.

CURTISS MILITARY IV. — The new machine sent to San Antonio, after the flights at Washington, is just a little larger than the standard Curtiss, which is 26 ft. 3 in. by 4 1/2 ft. for main planes. A small section, interchangeable, is inserted between the two larger sections on each side. The passenger sits directly behind the pilot. Supporting surface, 280 sq. ft.; weight, 700 lbs.; motor, Curtiss, 8-cylinder water-cooled, 4 by 4, 51.2 h.p.; Bosch magneto. Schebler carburettor, El Arco radiator, Pennsylvania 20 by 4 wheels.

CURTISSPINEHURSTSCHOOL. — On March 18 Beachey opened the Pinehurst (N.C.) school of the Curtiss Aeroplane Co., with Roland B. Middleton, a New York man, as student. On the 25th McCurdy will make a series of exhibition flights. This school, which is intended to be an annual feature at this resort, will close May 1. Permanent grounds are being arranged for at Palm Beach, Fla., and an annual winter school is intended to be conducted at this resort. Pupils will be taken at a tuition fee of $500, which will be allowed on purchase of a machine, if the student decides he likes flying. A deposit of $500 is required to cover damages in learning, any surplus remaining to be returned. At San Diego, Cal., three army officers and a naval officer are already learning, as are several civilians. C. Grahame-White & Co. charges $500 for tuition on either Bleriot or Farman machines, or $750 on both. A deposit of $250 had to be made to cover damages and the pupil had to take out insurance to cover third party risk. One may learn to fly the Breguet machine, which has been breaking passenger records of late at Brayelle, for $400, the student standing breakages, depositing $300 with Breguet as security. If the student is reckless or is deemed a dangerous pupil, Breguet reserves the right to restore to him his tuition fee, less $100. In beginning the lessons the apprentice agrees to assume all risks. This is true of the other schools. Henry Farman will make one a pilot for the sum of $500, payable in advance. The student assumes risks of breakage and deposits another $500 to cover damages. Three weeks at the outside are deemed sufficient to make one a pilot. Sheds for aeroplanes, which can be rented at Mineola or Belmont for $10 a month, cost $100 monthly at the Farman school, or $800 by the year.

TAMPA, Fla., Feb. 19-March 1.—McCurdy and Beachey gave exhibition flights at the Census Celebration. Several flights were made by Beachey at night with the aid of searchlights and bonfires, and on one occasion he carried an acetylene light on the biplane itself. Beachey also flew over the city.

RECEIVES WIRELESS MESSAGES. PALM BEACH, Fla., Feb. 24-March 6. —J.A.D. McCurdy devoted a week of flying for the enjoyment of Palm Beach’s fashionable guests. Several flights were made over the pier and the hotels. Percy G. B. Morriss, a Marconi engineer made a flight with McCurdy and was able to receive messages from Key West and from a steamer off the coast. This is the first time that wireless messages have been received on an aeroplane, in this country at least. William F. Whitehouse was a passenger on one occasion and Capt. Hugli L. Willovighby, who has his winter home at Sewalls Point, was present.

WILMINGTON, N. C, March 9-11.— McCurdy and Beachey gave exhibition, Beachey flying over the city.

CUBAN TOUR— After the close of the Havana meet by Curtiss aviators, McCurdy flew one day at Colon before leaving for Florida. Ward then made a tour of several Cuban towns, Cienfuegos, Caibarien, Santa Clara, Santiago, Caimanera, Cliaparra, Camagua, closing March 22 at Manzanillo. As Caimanera is near Guantanamo, where the American fleet is stationed, Ward flew for the benefit of the sailors at the latter place.

Flight Magazine No. 119. (No. 14. Vol. III.) April 8, 1911. Cross-Country Flying in Havana. USING his Bleriot monoplane, the French aviator Barrier on the 28th ult. succeeded in beating the time of the American aviator McCurdy for the cross-country flight from Columbia Camp to the Chateau Morro an d back for a prize of 600 offered by the town of Havana . Barrier’s time was 15 mins. 21 3/5 secs., while McCurdy’s time was 15 mins. 51: 3/5 secs. Garros ha s also been visiting Havana , an d after taking several passengers for trips on the 28th h e fell from a height of 20 metres, but fortunately escaped wit h slight injuries only.

Flight Magazine No. 121. (No.16.Vol.III.) April 22, 1911. Curtiss Biplane s for German Navy. ACCORDING to a report from Berlin, the German Naval authorities have ordered from Mr. Glenn H. Curtiss a couple of biplanes similar to those which he and McCurdy have been experimenting with in rising from and landing on the sea and in landing on the deck of a warship. It is understood that Mr. Curtiss will himself demonstrate the capabilities of the machines during the coming summer at Kiel.

Aeronautics: The American Magazine of Aerial Locomotion Vol. VIII, No. 5. May, 1911. — EXHIBITION FLYING AND MEETS. — Barrier flew from the grounds out to Morro Castle and back, repeating the McCurdy flight, the prize of $3,000 having been extended. Barrier beat McCurdy’s time and claimed the prize. It was later definitely awarded McCurdy, as the A.C. of Cuba realized it had no right to extend the time limit after it had been flown for.

PINEHURST, N. C, March 30-April 5.—Lincoln Beachey (Curtiss) finished up the tuition of Roland G. Middleton, who has been learning to fly the 4-cylinder machine. Commander Shichigora Saito, of the Japanese Navy, was one of Ely’s passengers. During this Week Beachey spent 18 hours in the air in seven days.

January 10-20, 1912—Los Angeles, aviation and arrangements not certain.

The Curtiss Exhibition Company. — The executive staff of the Curtiss Exhibition Company in this city numbers eleven persons, and those of the Aeroplane Company five. Included among the former are Mr. E.D. Moore, formerly night manager of the Associated Press in New York, who is in charge of the publicity work; Thomas T. Tuttle, a well known young newspaper man: A.L.S. McCurdy, brother of the noted aviator, road manager, and J. K. Lockwood as Mr. Fanciulli’s secretary. Among the noted aviators on the Curtiss staff are Eugene Ely, J.A.D. McCurdy, J.J. Ward. Lincoln Beachey, H.A. Robinson, C.C. Witmer and R.C. St. Henry. The last two are new men, but as they were thoroughly trained by Mr. Curtiss himself at San Diego, they are expert flyers.

J.A.D. McCurdy, at Yale’s May Aviation Carnival, The Day, New London, Conn., May 6th 1911.

North American Press Despatch 1911. — McCurdy Hit Mark. — Washington, May 6th:— A three-mile aeroplane race between aviators J.A.D. McCurdy an Lincoln Beachey, was the feature which aroused enthusiasm to-day at Washington’s aviation meet. Beachey won from his opponent in the fast time of five minutes ten seconds. In bomb propping at a marked spot, representing the deck of a battleship, McCurdy hit the mark three times out of six. The fifteenth anniversary of the first successful flight of a heavier than air machine, that of late Dr. Samuel P. Langley, which was made over the Potomac River, was commemorated to-night by a reception, known as Langley night at the University Club.

American Press The Day, New London, Conn., Wed., May 24, 1911. — ELI AERO MEET WAS A SUCCESS. — McCurdy An Beachey Receive $750 Each For Flying:— It is learned that financially the Yale aviation meet last Friday and Saturday at New Haven was a success, although ha the weather been more propitious for aerial navigation. It is believed that the sum of $6,000 which was taken in during the two days, would have been doubled, and the Yale Aero association would have had more money in its treasury than it has today. Under a percentage agreement the Curtiss company received about $4,500 from which Aviators Beachey and McCurdy were paid something like $1, 500 between them.

Aeronautics: The American Magazine of Aerial Locomotion Vol. III, No. 6. June 1911. — SUCCESSFUL WIRELESS FROM AEROPLANE. — Very gratifying were the tests with wireless telegraphy by J.A.D, McCurdy and the New York World during the Bridgeport aviation meet, May 11, 12, 13 and 14. While no attempt was made to send long messages, decidedly successful results were obtained in sending signals by wireless to the dome of the Pulitzer Building, a distance of 55 miles. Several private wireless stations in New Haven also had no difficulty in picking- up the dots and dashes shot into the air when McCurdy rapped the key which was placed on his steering wheel. The new apparatus for sending aerograms from aeroplanes was built by Oscar Roesen, a young Brooklyn man who is an electrical engineer student at Stevens Institute Hoboken, N. J. He constructed the little set for the New York World in the short space of three days. It is properly equipped for both sending and receiving messages when installed on an aeroplane and every consideration was given to the question of lightness and efficiency. That a decided step forward in aeroplane wireless sets has been made as a result of the World’s experiments was generally conceded by those who closely watched the workings of the new instrument “both in the air and on the ground. Its total weight is between 40 and 50 pounds. The whole outfit is neatly packed in a light box about the sie of a dress suit case. Lieut. Fickel, who was detailed by the War Department to attend the meet, was very much impressed with the set and sent a detailed report about the set to the Signal Corps.

Saturday, May 13, McCurdy took the wireless set up for the first time: ho rose to about 2.000ft., and sailed in a two-mile circle around the grand stand of the aviation field. A temporary wireless station built on the grand stand received every signal, sent by McCurdy during the trials, with pronounced distinctness. Unfortunately, on the first day of the experiments, May 13, the interference caused by numerous wireless stations operating at the same time that McCurdy was trying to reach the Pulilzer Building made it impossible for the operator who was listening in the dome of the Pulitzer Building to detect the signals from the aeroplane. On the following day, Sunday, when the atmosphere was undisturbed by the operation of other wireless stations, the spark sent out by McCurdy from the aeroplane was plainly heard on three different occasions. E.B. Mubinger, of New Haven, Conn., reported that the signals were also received at his station, located 17 miles from the aviation field, at Bridgeport. The receiving qualities of the apparatus were not tried by McCurdy during the Bridgeport meet, but after a thorough test it was found that with the set, messages could be read from distances as far as 200 miles away. During experiments conducted from a dirigible balloon in England last February, aerograms were sent a distance of 30′ miles, which was considered a good feat. The World’s tests establish a new distance mark for wireless from an aeroplane, which is made all the more important by the fact that the instrument reached the heart of New York City, generally considered to have many adverse elements for wireless work.

CONSTRUCTION OF THE APPARATUS. — The transmitter consisted of four-inch heavy output induction coil with ordinary siring vibrator; 15 dry batteries e.m.f.. 1.5 and extra high amperage, connected in series ; high tension condenser consisting of copper plates with special insulating compound as dielectric; helix consisting of wooden frame five inches in diameter, wound with 12 turns No. G B. & S., gauge, and ordinary telegraph key. Receptor, two straight tuning coils wound with bare copper wire, Clapp-Eathahm detector and Brandes telephone receiver of 2,000 ohms. The wires wore strung from the tail piece of the machine to a point directly above the ailerons and constituted the aerial. For a ground, or more strictly speaking, for balancing aerial, the metal parts of the biplane were employed. Previous experiments with wireless were described by Harry M. Morton in the January, 1911, issue.

News In General:— BARRIER GETS HAVANA PRIZE. — The Havana City Council has formally awarded the prize of $3,000 for the fastest flight from Camp Columbia to and around El Morro to Rene Barrier, of the Moisant aviators. Barrier boat McCurdy’s time by 1 minute 31 seconds, despite the fact that McCurdy did not follow the course but cut off about a mile each way, because he flew over the beach and not across the city. It was for this violation of the rules of the contest, the Moisant aviators are officially informed from Havana, that McCurdy’s protest was disallowed and the prize awarded to Barrier.

LIST OP AMERICAN PILOTS. — The total number of living aviators licensed by the Aero Club of America is 21. Following is a list of their names and the number of their licenses, together with the names of the machines used at the time of assurance of license:

Glenn H. Curtiss (Curtiss).

Frank P. Lahm (Wright).

Louis Paulhan (Farman, now flying Paulhan).

Orville Wright (Wright).

Wilbur Wright (Wright).

Clifford B. Harmon (Farman).

Capt. Thomas S. Baldwin (Baldwin).

J. Armstrong Drexel (Bleriot).

Tod Shriver (Curtiss type).

Charles F. Willard (Curtiss).

J. C. Mars (Curtiss).

Charles K. Hamilton (Curtiss).

John B. Moisant (Bleriot).

Charles Weymann (Farman).

Arthur Stone ( ? ).

Harry S. Harkness (Antoinette).

Eugene Ely (Curtiss).

J. A. D. McCurdy (Curtiss).

Walter R. Brookins (Wright).

Ralph Johnstone (Wright).

Arch Hoxsey (Wright).

J. C. Turpin (Wright).

A. L. Welch (Wright).

J. J. Frisbie (Curtiss type).

P. O. Parmalee (Wright).

Frank C. Coffyn (Wright).

Of the above, John B. Moisant, Ralph Johnstone and Arch Hoxsey are deceased. Some of the above received their licenses from the Aero Club of America on the strength of performances observed by other clubs. Curtiss, Orville and Wilbur ” Wright have all foreign licenses in addition. Other American aviators who hold foreign licenses are: —

Tames V. Martin (Burgess Baby Farman).

St. Croix Johnstone (Bleriot).

Samuel Pierce (Bleriot).

A. J. Houpert (Bleriot).

J. A. Cvmiming.s (Bleriot).

Duval La Chapelle (French Wright).

Earle L. Ovington (Bleriot).

There are, therefore, but 28 living Americans holding aviation pilot licenses, Messrs. McCurdy and Paulhan not being citizens. There, are a number of good aviators who have not bothered with any license, as there has been no need for a pilot’s license as yet.